Andrew scandal may expose just how little royals pay for mansions | Royal | News

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s departure from the Royal Lodge may lead to revelations over how little the royals pay to live in sprawling mansions.

The disgraced former Prince had been paying a peppercorn rent to live in the 30-bed mansion in Windsor Great Park, after paying £8.5million up-front to cover renovation costs when he took on a 75-year lease in 2003. However, royal sources suggest that Andrew’s effective eviction and stripping of his titles may have emboldened critics to scrutinise royal finances and determine if they are paying a fair amount towards the Crown Estate, which gives its profits to the Treasury.

“The Crown Estate contains a huge number of properties but most of us haven’t been aware of what exactly is out there, and until now, few of us have cared to ask,” says Ingrid Seward, royal biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine.

“Now, that has changed, which means Andrew has opened the door to a lot of problems for his family and the way they live,” reports The Times.

Any profits from the Crown Estate, which manages the hereditary assets owned by the Monarch, are given to the Treasury, in exchange for money that funds public work by the Royal Family, otherwise known as the Sovereign Grant.

According to the Daily Mail, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is set to investigate the terms of other royal properties owned by the Crown Estate.

One home under scrutiny may be that of Prince Edward and Princess Sophie, who share a sprawling 120-room estate at Bagshot Park in Surrey, near Windsor Great Park.

Recently released documents showed that Prince Edward had been paying “peppercorn rent” on his 120-room home in Surrey.

Crown Estate figures revealed that they took out a 50-year lease on the Surrey estate in 1998 for an annual sum of just £5,000, which equated to just £417 a month.

The sum later reportedly increased to £90,000 a year, described as “market value”, after the prince paid £1.36million to help with renovations, but the Crown Estate covered the remaining £3million in refurbishment costs.

King Charles’ younger brother then paid £5million upfront for a lease of 150 years in 2007, leaving him to pay a peppercorn rent, according to the documents.

Another home of interest may be that of Princess Alexandra, the late Queen Elizabeth’s elderly cousin, who lives in a Crown Estate Grade II listed property, Thatched House Lodge.

She has been paying just £225 a month to live in the home in Richmond Park, well below the average rent in London for a home with six bedrooms and six reception rooms.

However, supporters say the 88-year-old dedicated much of her life to attending events on behalf of the Royal family.

Plenty of royals live in Windsor, including Prince William and Princess Catherine, who famously insist on paying a market-value rent for Forest Lodge, said to cost upwards of £15,000 a month.